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Procter & Gamble is growing 4% a year, but there are signs of trouble, including retailer ratings that have dropped four years in a row, problems with Tide Pods and other product launches, and decreased effectiveness of ads. The company is hoping to gain momentum by putting its focus on digital marketing, but the company's status as media-buyer front-runner may not be an advantage.

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Procter & Gamble appears to be testing senior executive David Taylor as a replacement for CEO A.G. Lafley by giving him the additional responsibility of overseeing P&G's struggling beauty business. Taylor, currently group president for global health and grooming, now appears to be the front-runner for the company's top spot, according to these reports.

Procter & Gamble has taken a further step to prevent children from eating its Tide Pods laundry detergent, making its packaging opaque to avoid a "candy bowl" look. The move comes as part of the company's "Safe Home" campaign that promotes keeping all detergent out of sight and reach of children. Last year, the company added stronger lids to its packaging after reports that children ate the detergent packs because they were mistaken for candy.

Robert McDonald, CEO of Procter & Gamble, said the company spends "$2 billion a year on research and development, twice as much as our next largest competitor," creating products such as Tide Cold Water that move the company toward its sustainability goals. "We want to introduce products in every single category we're in that make a difference in people's lives and are better for the environment at the same time," he said.

With research from Procter & Gamble showing many consumers are not happy with dry cleaning, the company has launched Tide Dry Cleaners stores, which have valets to carry clothes to and from customer cars and machines that are visible. The company expects to have several hundred locations within a few years.

Procter & Gamble will begin selling Tide Pods -- concentrated liquid laundry detergent in the form of tablets -- in stores in September. P&G says the product is more concentrated but contains less water than traditional Tide liquid. "This one product can be used for both top-loading washers or high-efficiency washers," a spokeswoman said.